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Virginia Tech

Insulation Impact on Shear Strength of Screw Connections and Shear Strength of Diaphragms

Abstract

dc:description.abstract

Several thousand tests throughout the world have been conducted on the shear strength of screw connections in cold-formed steel, however, little to no research has been conducted on how various thicknesses of insulation placed between two sheets of steel, such as a steel panel and structural supporting member, affects a screw's shear strength. Elemental tests were conducted as part of this study at Virginia Tech where rolled fiberglass insulation was placed between two pieces of steel connected by self-drilling screws and tested to failure. The results were compared to the North American Specification for the Design of Cold-Formed Steel Structural Members to determine if the presence of insulation affected the shear and tensile strengths of screw connections involving insulation. A series of diaphragm tests were also preformed to confirm the elemental tests. While the presence of insulation between two steel sheets connected by screws reduces the shear strength of the connection, the current equations for predicting this strength in the North American Specification are adequate. When the data acquired from this study and the screw shear data obtained in past research were combined, it was clear that the data collected during this study fell within the scatter of the data used to develop Section E4.3 of the North American Specification neglecting the need for modification.

Degree

thesis:*
Name thesis:degree_name
Master of Science
Level thesis:degree_level
masters
Discipline thesis:degree_discipline
Civil Engineering
Department dc:contributor.department
Civil Engineering
Grantor dc:publisher
Virginia Tech
Year dc:date.issued
2005

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Lease, Adam R.
Chair dc:contributor.committeechair
  • Easterling, William Samuel
Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember
  • Murray, Thomas M.
  • Rojiani, Kamal B.

Subjects

dc:subject × 2

Rights

dc:rights
Statement dc:rights
  • In Copyright

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
Dc Identifier Other
etd-09162005-121101
OAI identifier oai:identifier
oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/44783

Chain of custody

source
Harvested from
Virginia Tech
Base URL
vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request
Last updated
2026-07-22
Source record
OAI-PMH GetRecord
citation

Lease, Adam R.. Insulation Impact on Shear Strength of Screw Connections and Shear Strength of Diaphragms. masters thesis, Virginia Tech, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/44783